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Hi,
We purchased some mountain property in East Tennessee. Most of the earth is red clay--which is horrendous when it gets wet. If you've ever experienced it, you know EXACTLY what I mean.
We cut a road and of course, one side of the road slopes down and the other has a 15 foot bank on it. During the course of the last year the bank has slowly dropped huge clumps of clay down onto the road and we are tired of cleaning it up.
We are looking for suggestion to keep the clay where it is--FAR AWAY FROM US!
Whatever the solution, it does not have to be fancy or great looking--it just has to work.
So, my question is what is the best and most economical way to hold this bank back and free us from shoveling clay clumps every few weeks?

Also, any ideas on the best way to handle drainage, would certainly be appreciated!

I'm a newbie here. I've uploaded the photo to a public album I created, but do not yet know how to make it part of my posting. Can you help with that?
Thanks
Murph

Got it --- photo posted, thanks!!

BigJim

07-30-2011 01:16 PM

The only things that come to mind is a running type of plant, or slope the back at a lesser angle or some type of retaining wall like they did on the side of Monteagle, wire mesh staked and covered with concrete.

stuart45

07-30-2011 02:49 PM

Have you looked at the cost of a Gabion wall?

Murp-the-Surf

07-30-2011 03:01 PM

Thanks for the replies.
Plants aren't going to cut it--I think it is too steep. And when the frost comes along, it just pushes up the lose chunks and the fall on the road.
I looked briefly into a Gabion wall, that looks somewhat promising...thanks!

stuart45

07-30-2011 03:29 PM

A lot of people round here use old railway sleepers as well to build retaining walls.

concretemasonry

07-30-2011 03:40 PM

Murp -

My only suggestion is to decrease the slope of the lower part of the cut surface by shaping the upper part, if possible. Then proper ground cover may stabilize the over-all slope.